Hollywood, County Wicklow

Hollywood (Irish: Cillín Chaoimhín, meaning "Kevin's wood")[1] is a village in west County Wicklow, Ireland. It is situated on the Wicklow Gap road, near its junction with the N81 national secondary road. It is known for its pre-1950's themed fair which takes place in August of every year. A population of less than 100 people registered in the 2002 Census, though the community draws from a larger area which consists of about 500 people.

Hollywood

Cillín Chaoimhín
Village
Hollywood village
Hollywood
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°05′26″N 6°36′07″W
CountryIreland
ProvinceLeinster
CountyCounty Wicklow
Elevation
186 m (610 ft)
Time zoneUTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-1 (IST (WEST))
Irish Grid ReferenceN938055

Etymology

Cillín Chaoimhín is the associated Irish name for Hollywood; its literal translation being Kevin's Small Church. Another, older Irish name is Cnoic Rua, literally meaning Red Hill. This may be a reference to the red berries of holly trees on the hills above the village or it may in fact be a reference to the presence of Wicklow heather. Another possibility is that the original name for Hollywood may have been Holy Wood, as a reference to Saint Kevin's passage through.

Pilgrimage
Tutty's of Hollywood.

The village has an association with 6th Century Saint Kevin and many pilgrims passed through, following in Saint Kevin's footsteps, on their way to the monastic settlement at Glendalough, until the practice ceased in the early 1900s. Local landmarks include Saint Kevin's Chair,[2] and Saint Kevin's Cave.[3] Saint Kevin's Way is a 30 km pilgrim path from Hollywood to Glendalough, and is connected to the Wicklow Mountains National Park.[4]

Surroundings
Sign in Hollywood, Co. Wicklow

The Church of Ireland in the village church has a vaulted roof from the 17th century. About 3 km northeast of the village is Poulaphouca, where the Liffey cascades in three stages. The Poulaphouca Reservoir (also known as Blessington Lakes), which cover about 5,000 acres (20 km2) or 20 km², were formed in the mid-20th century by the building of the Poulaphouca Dam and hydroelectric power station, and today serve the purpose of providing the power and water that supply County Dublin.

The Bronze Age Piper's Stones, are 3.5 km to the southwest of Hollywood on the N81.[5] The site is signposted.

Hollywood, like its namesake in California, has a connection to the entertainment industry. It has provided a setting for several films, including King Arthur [6] Dancing At Lughnasa, and Michael Collins. [7] An imitation of the iconic Hollywood Sign overlooks the village from a nearby hill.[8]

References
  1. Placenames Database of Ireland
  2. Saint Kevin's Chair
  3. Saint Kevin's Bed or Cave Archived 2007-08-17 at the Wayback Machine
  4. St Kevin’s Way, Co. Wicklow Archived 2009-12-10 at the Wayback Machine on the Heritage Council website
  5. The Piper's Stones
  6. "Wicklow Film History | Wicklow.ie". www.wicklow.ie. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  7. "Hollywood – Wicklow County Tourism". Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  8. "Welcome to the real Hollywood". Irish Examiner. 30 August 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
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